Steering position adjustment device

Abstract

A spring for assisting a tilt adjustment operation can be easily and rapidly attached to a fixed bracket and a movable bracket. Each of two flanges of a fixed bracket has a tilted flange plate and a locking piece. The locking piece has a guiding edge, a locking recess, an insertion recess, and a fixing hole. In a spring member, a first locking shaft portion is formed on the rear side of two coil portions, and a second locking shaft portion is formed rearward from the distal end of the first locking shaft portion. The first locking shaft portion is engaged with the locking recess, and the second locking shaft portion is engaged with the fixing hole. The distance between the first locking shaft portions of the spring member is less that the distance between the two guiding edges.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A steering position adjustment device, comprising:
 a fixed bracket comprising flanges formed on both sides in a lateral direction of the fixed bracket; 
 a movable bracket attached to the fixed bracket and comprising a column pipe mounted thereon; and 
 a spring member, 
 wherein each of the flanges comprises a tilted flange plate, 
 wherein a locking piece protrudes from an end of the tilted flange plate of said each of the flanges, 
 wherein an edge and a side of the locking piece are formed as a guiding edge, 
 wherein a locking recess is formed on a rear side of the guiding edge, the locking recess extending from an end of the locking piece, 
 wherein the guiding edge is formed to tilt towards the locking recess, a tilt of the guiding edge gradually increasing from a front side of the guiding edge towards the rear side of the guiding edge, 
 wherein an insertion recess extends in the tilted flange plate of said each of the flanges, 
 wherein, in the lateral direction, a position in the insertion recess substantially matches a position of the guiding edge, 
 wherein a fixing hole is formed adjacently to the insertion recess, 
 wherein an end of the locking recess and the fixing hole are formed such that, in the lateral direction, positions thereof substantially match each other, 
 wherein, in the spring member, coil portions are formed at said both sides with an axial center of the column pipe being disposed therebetween, 
 wherein first locking shaft portions extend from the coil portions, 
 wherein second locking shaft portions extend from distal ends of the first locking shaft portions, 
 wherein the first locking shaft portions are engaged with the locking recess and another locking recess, 
 wherein the second locking shaft portions are further engaged with the fixing hole and another fixing hole, 
 wherein a distance between the first locking shaft portions of the spring member is less than a distance between the guiding edge and another guiding edge of the fixed bracket, and 
 wherein the distance between the guiding edge and said another guiding edge of the fixed bracket is the same as a distance between the insertion recess and another insertion recess of the fixed bracket. 
 
     
     
       2. The steering position adjustment device according to  claim 1 , wherein a through-hole is formed from an end of the insertion recess, and the insertion recess and the fixing holes are formed in a continuous manner through the through-hole. 
     
     
       3. The steering position adjustment device according to  claim 1 , wherein the tilt of the guiding edge continuously increases from the front side of the guiding edge towards the rear side of the guiding edge. 
     
     
       4. The steering position adjustment device according to  claim 1 , wherein the tilt of the guiding edge guides one of the first locking shaft portions of the spring member. 
     
     
       5. The steering position adjustment device according to  claim 1 , wherein the tilt of the guiding edge guides one of the first locking shaft portions of the spring member for locking into the locking recess. 
     
     
       6. The steering position adjustment device according to  claim 1 , wherein the position of the insertion recess coincides with the position of the guiding edge. 
     
     
       7. The steering position adjustment device according to  claim 1 , wherein one of the first locking shaft portions abuts the guiding edge. 
     
     
       8. A steering position adjustment device, comprising:
 a fixed bracket comprising flanges formed on both sides in a lateral direction of the fixed bracket; 
 a movable bracket attached to the fixed bracket and comprising a column pipe mounted thereon; and 
 a spring member, 
 wherein each of the flanges comprises a tilted flange plate, 
 wherein a locking piece protrudes from an end of the tilted flange plate of said each of the flanges, 
 wherein an edge and a side of the locking piece are formed as a guiding edge, 
 wherein a locking recess is formed on a rear side of the guiding edge, the locking recess extending from an end of the locking piece, 
 wherein the guiding edge is formed to tilt towards the locking recess, a tilt of the guiding edge gradually increasing from a front side of the guiding edge towards the rear side of the guiding edge, 
 wherein an insertion recess extends in the tilted flange plate of said each of the flanges, 
 wherein, in the lateral direction, a position in the insertion recess substantially matches a position of the guiding edge, 
 wherein a fixing hole is formed adjacently to the insertion recess, 
 wherein an end of the locking recess and the fixing hole are formed such that, in the lateral direction, positions thereof substantially match each other, 
 wherein, in the spring member, coil portions are formed at said both sides with an axial center of the column pipe being disposed therebetween, 
 wherein first locking shaft portions extend from the coil portions, 
 wherein second locking shaft portions extend from distal ends of the first locking shaft portions, 
 wherein the first locking shaft portions are engaged with the locking recess and another locking recess, 
 wherein the second locking shaft portions are further engaged with the fixing hole and another fixing hole, 
 wherein a distance between the first locking shaft portions of the spring member is less than a distance between the guiding edge and another guiding edge of the fixed bracket, and 
 wherein, when a force that expands the spring member is relaxed, the first locking shaft portions of the spring member are moved along the guiding edge and said another guiding edge for being guided in the locking recess and said another locking recess, respectively. 
 
     
     
       9. The steering position adjustment device according to  claim 1 , wherein, when one of the second locking shaft portions is inserted into an end portion of the insertion recess, the position of the insertion recess coincides with a position of the guiding edge in the lateral direction of the fixed bracket. 
     
     
       10. A steering position adjustment device, comprising:
 a fixed bracket comprising flanges formed on both sides in a lateral direction of the fixed bracket; 
 a movable bracket attached to the fixed bracket and comprising a column pipe mounted thereon; and 
 a spring member, 
 wherein each of the flanges comprises a tilted flange plate, 
 wherein a locking piece protrudes from an end of the tilted flange plate of said each of the flanges, 
 wherein an edge and a side of the locking piece are formed as a guiding edge, 
 wherein a locking recess is formed on a rear side of the guiding edge, the locking recess extending from an end of the locking piece, 
 wherein the guiding edge is formed to tilt towards the locking recess, a tilt of the guiding edge gradually increasing from a front side of the guiding edge towards the rear side of the guiding edge, 
 wherein an insertion recess extends in the tilted flange plate of said each of the flanges, 
 wherein, in the lateral direction, a position in the insertion recess substantially matches a position of the guiding edge, 
 wherein a fixing hole is formed adjacently to the insertion recess, 
 wherein an end of the locking recess and the fixing hole are formed such that, in the lateral direction, positions thereof substantially match each other, 
 wherein, in the spring member, coil portions are formed at said both sides with an axial center of the column pipe being disposed therebetween, 
 wherein first locking shaft portions extend from the coil portions, 
 wherein second locking shaft portions extend from distal ends of the first locking shaft portions, 
 wherein the first locking shaft portions are engaged with the locking recess and another locking recess, 
 wherein the second locking shaft portions are further engaged with the fixing hole and another fixing hole, 
 wherein a distance between the first locking shaft portions of the spring member is less than a distance between the guiding edge and another guiding edge of the fixed bracket, and 
 wherein, when the second locking shaft portions are inserted into the insertion recess, the position of the insertion recess and a position of another insertion recess of the fixed bracket coincide with the position of the guiding edge and a position of said another guiding edge, respectively, in the lateral direction of the fixed bracket. 
 
     
     
       11. The steering position adjustment device according to  claim 1 , wherein, when one of the first locking shaft portions is locked in the locking recess, the spring member locks one of the second locking shaft portion in the fixing hole. 
     
     
       12. The steering position adjustment device according to  claim 1 , wherein, when the first locking shaft portions are moved along the guiding edge and said another guiding edge by the spring member, one of the second locking shaft portions is locked in the fixing hole. 
     
     
       13. The steering position adjustment device according to  claim 1 , wherein a distance between the end of the locking recess and an end of another locking recess is the same as a distance between the fixing hole and said another fixing hole. 
     
     
       14. The steering position adjustment device according to  claim 1 , wherein, in the lateral direction, lateral positions of the locking recess and the fixing hole are the same. 
     
     
       15. The steering position adjustment device according to  claim 14 , wherein, in the lateral direction, the position of the guiding edge and the position of the insertion recess are the same. 
     
     
       16. The steering position adjustment device according to  claim 1 , wherein, in the lateral direction, the position of the guiding edge and the position of the insertion recess are the same. 
     
     
       17. The steering position adjustment device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a through-hole extending laterally from the insertion recess toward the fixing hole. 
 
     
     
       18. The steering position adjustment device according to  claim 17 , wherein the insertion recess and the fixing holes are formed in a continuous manner through the through-hole. 
     
     
       19. The steering position adjustment device according to  claim 1 , wherein the insertion recess extends in one of the flanges to end at the fixing hole.